Toy building construction



May 13, 1930. A. c. GLLBERT TOY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb 4, 1927 Patented May 13, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE ALFRED C. GILBERT, OF HAMDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE A. C. GILBERT COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND TOY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Application filed February 4, 1927. Serial No. 165,904.

This invention relates to toy building construction intended to simulate the modern structural steel used in erecting buildings, bridges, arches, Ferris wheels, and similar structures. This invention relates more pan ticularly to a building element or strip of such form that curved sections for arches, bridges and wheels may be readily formed by the association thereof with other elements 10 either similar or otherwise.

One'of the objects of this invention is to provide a curved toy building element of such construction that a wheel ring or other arcuately formed structure may be formed 13' by the joining together of a plurality thereof,

and whereby walls, rings or the like of varying diameters or radii may be formed by a more or less number of the same elements.

Another object of this invention is to proiio vide a curved toy building element of such form that the same may be readily oined to another in the construction ofvarious models, which will be rigid and sturdy in structure.

Still another object of this invention is to 23- provide in toy building structures a rigid and sturdy curved building element, adapted to be joined t-o other elements in a plurality of ways, and to permit adjustment within certain limits in one or more directions at or after assembly therewith to suit the model being constructed.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, 7

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a ring formed of a plurality of toy building elements, embodying the features of this invention;

Fig. 2 is anenlarged view of a pair of the toy elements of this invention joined together.

to form an extended arcuate section;

Fig. '3 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 2 by which is illustrated onemanner of olnlng T together the elements of this invention to;

form an arcuate structure of a substantially less diameter orradius than that shown in Fig. 2; I

gig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, an

Fig. 5 is an edge View of the parts shown in Fig. 2.

The ring or wheel section 10, shown in Fig. 1, is formed by joining together a plurality of strips or elements 11, in this instance the elements being shown secured together at their ends by bolts 12. The circular ring 10 may be used to form a narrow faced wheel by using only one series of elements and providing spokes 13 (shown in dotted lines in Fig.2), and which would extend inwardly from the ring to a hub member (not shown), or to form a broad faced wheel by the use of another series of elements arranged in ring form and spaced from the first, the two wheel sections being joined together at the peripheral edges of each by means of suitable cross strips 14 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5).

The strip or element 11 is illustrated in the form of a sector of a ring commonly known as a circular ring sector, the ends 15 of which are radialwith the center thereof. Along an edge, in'this instance, the outer edge, the element 11 is provided with a flange 16, which extends at right anglesfrom the surface of the sector 17.

The flange 16 is provided with a series of spaced apart perforations 18, extending in alignment from a point adjacent one end to a point adjacent the other end, each of the end perforations being spaced from the element end 15 an amount substantially equal to one-half the width of the flange 16. The

perforations 18 are preferably elongated transversely with respect to the periphery of the element, and are of the same.

The sector 17 is provided with a portion 19, spaced from each edge substantially equal to parallel to the aXis of the the width of the flange 16 and offset in the direction taken by the flange out of the plane of the remainder. The offset portion 19 is cut away at various points to present a series of cross bars 20 and 21. At each of the intersecting points of these cross bars, the portion 19 is provided with perforations 22. The perforations 22 are in alignment, and in this instance, are disposed upon the arcuate medial line of the sector 17.

The sector 17 is provided with a series of perforations 23 and 24, which extend in arcuate alignment adjacent each of the edges thereof, and intermediate the same and the offset portion 19 being formed in the spaced apart marginal portions of said strip. The perforations 23 are equally spaced apart an amount substantially equal to the spacing of the perforations 18 in the flange 16, and the perforations 24 are in alignment with theperforati'ons 23, with respect to the axis of the arc of the sector 17. The end perforations 25 provided in the sector 17 are elongated transversely thereof and along the radial line therethrough.

A perforation 26 is provided in the offset portion 19 in radial alignment with the perforations 25 of the sector 17. The intermediate perforations'22in the offset portion 19 are in radialalignment with certain of the perforations 23 and. 24.

-The diameter of all the perforations is greater-than the diameter of the bolt 12, so that there is play therebetWeen-in all directions. This-diflerence in diameter'permits the securing of a straight element like the spoke 13 to the sector 17, and the use of the perforations 23 and 24 when securing the same together, the amount of play between the perforations and the bolt being sufficient to provide for the registering of these perforations with those provided in the part 13, whereby the bolt maybe inserted therethrough. This feature also permits a slight movement' of one element out of the true arcuate alignment with another, as in Fig. 3, which movement may be in either direction-whereby rings of different diameters or extended sectors of different-radii may be formed; By the arrangement shown in Fig. 3,-a rin-g or other arcuate structure of somewvhat smaller diameter or radii willbe formed,

a broad peripheral face of various widths. i The amount of the elongation of the perforation 18, permits a transverse adjustment inthe connection therewith to a strip 14, when secured to the sector by abolt 12. The elongatedperforations-18 also permit the overlapping-of two elements, and the registering of perforations 18 in the overlapped flanges, when it is desired to bolt at this point, as shown in dotted lines at 27, in Fig. 5.

When it is desired to construct a circular ring sector of greater peripheral length than that obtained by the use of one element, the intermediate perforations 23 and 24 may be used through which to secure one element to another to form an extension thereof. Due to the spacing of these perforations, a sector may be formed of any desired length within the limits of the amount of spacing between the perforations. Due to the bracing effect of the flange 16, and the stiffening effect of the offset portion 19, the element 11 is especially rigid. An arch, wheel or other arcuate structure composed of a plurality of these elements, will also be rigid for the same reasons. The overlapping of both the sectors 17 and the flange 16, in the instance where one element is used to form an extension of another, insures rigidity of structure dueto the cooperating bracing effect of one upon the other. I

lVh-ile I-have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the sameis not to be limited to all of the details shown, as many modifications and-variations are possible, which will lie within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Vhat I. claim is:

1. Aftoy building element, comprising a sheet metal strip in the form of a circular ring sector, having a flange along its outer periphery extending substantially at right angles thereto, said sector having a part offset from the plane and extending the entire arcuate length thereof, said part being offset in-the same direction in which said flange extends, and beingspaced from the outer and inner periphery of said sector, said sector having a series of arcuately aligned perforations adjacent each edge thereof.

2. A toy building element, comprising a sheet'metal strip in the form of a circular ring sector, having a flange along-its outer periphery extending substantially at right angles thereto, said sector having a series of arcuately aligned perforations adjacent each edge thereof, said flange havingaseries of equally spaced apart transversely elongated perforations therein;

3. A toy building element, comprising a sheet metal strip in the form of a circular ring sector, having a flange along its outer periphery extending substantially at rightangles thereto, said' sector having a series of arcuately aligned perforations adjacent each edge thereof, said flange having a series of equallyspaced apart transversely elongated perforations therein, the perforations in said flange being in alignment radially with the perforations in said sector.

4. A toy building element, comprising a sheet metal strip in the form of a circular ring sector, having a flange along its outer periphery extending substantially at right angles thereto, said sector having a part ofsetfrom the planeand extending the entire arcuate length thereof, said part being offset in the same direction in which said flange extends and being spaced from the outer and inner periphery of said sector, said offset portion having a series of spaced apart perforations along its medial line, said sector having a series of arcuatelv aligned perforations adjacent each edge thereof, the perforations in said offset portion being in algnment radially with perforations in said sector.

5. A toy building element, comprising a sneet metal strip in the form of a circular ring sector, having a flange along its outer periphery extending substantially at right angles thereto, said sector having a part oflset from the plane and extending the entire arcuate length thereof, said part being offset in the same direction in which said flange extends and being spaced from the outer and inner periphery of said sector, said offset portion having a series of spaced apart perforations along its medial line, said sector having a series of arcuately aligned perforations adjacent each edge thereof,said flange having a series of equally spaced apart transversely elongated perforations therein, the perforations in said flange and the perforations in said offset portion being in alignment radially with perforations in said sector.

6. In a toy building construction, a combination of a plurality of ring sectors, each of said sectors having a flange upon the outer periphery thereof, said sectors being arranged with an end of one overlapping the end of another, and having the ends of their respective flanges in overlapped relation, adjacent sectors being provided at their ends with perforations that register, and means passing through the registering perforations to oin the adjacent sectors together.

7. In a toy building construction, the combination of a pair of ring sectors, each having a flange along one edge thereof, said sectors being in overlapped relation at adjacent ends thereof, perforations in the overlapped ends of each sector arranged to register with the perforations in the adjacent sector, and a bolt adapted to pass through the registering perforations, the perforations in both sectors being of larger diameter than the boltto permit play therebetween.

8. A toy building element, comprising a sheet metal strip in the form of a circular ring sector, having a flange along its outer periphery, extending substantially at right angles thereto, said sector having a pair of radially spaced apart marginal portions connected by an intermediate portion, said intermediate portion having a series of spaced apart perforations along its medial line, said sector having a series of arcuately aligned perforations in each marginal portion thereof, the perforations in said intermediate portion being in radial alignment with perforations in said sector. r 1

r 9. A toy building element, comprising a sheet metal strip inthe form of a circular ring sector, having a flange along its outer periphery extending substantially at right angles thereto, said sector having a pair of radially spaced apart marginal portions connected by an intermediate portion, said intermediate portion having a series of spaced apart perforations along its medial line, said sector having a series of arcuately aligned perforations adjacent each edge thereof, said flange having a series of equally spaced apart transversely elongated perforations therein, the perforations in said flange and the perfo rations in said intermediate portion being in radial alignment with perforations in said sector.

10. In a toy building construction, an element constituted by a strip of sheet metal in the form of a circular ring sector and having a pair of spaced apart marginal portions interconnected by an intermediate portion, a flange extending at right angles thereto and along an edge of one of said marginal portions, each of said marginal portions having a series of spaced apart perforations thereim the perforations at each end of said marginal portion being elongated laterally with respect to said strip.

11. In a toy building construction, an element constituted by a strip of sheet metal in the form of a circular ring sector and having a pair of spaced apart marginal portions interconnected by an intermediate portion, a flange extending at right angles thereto and along an edge of one of said marginal portions, each of said marginal portions having a series of spaced apart perforations therein, the perforations at each end of said marginal portions being elongated laterally with respect to said strip, said intermediate portion having a series of spaced apart perforations therein, extending along the medial line thereof, the perforations at each end of said intermediate portion being elongated laterally with respect to said strip.

12. In a toy building construction, an element constituted by a strip of sheet metal in the form of a circular ring sector, and having a pair of spaced apart marginal portions interconnected by an intermediate portion depressed out of the plane of said marginal portions, a flange extending at right angles thereto and along an edge of one of said marginal portions, said marginal portions and said intermediate portion having a perforation at an end thereof, the perforations being substantially in alignment laterally with respect to said strip.

13. In a toy building construction, an element constituted by a strip of sheet metal in the form'of a circular ring sector, and having a pair'of spaced apart marginal portions interconnected by an intermediate portion, a flange extending at right agles thereto and along an edgeof one ofsaidmarginal portions, sai-d marginal portions and said intermediate portion having a perforation at an end there of, the perforations being substantially in alignment laterally with respect to said strip.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 2d day of February, 1927.

ALFRED C. GILBERT. 

